MoonSpell
by Malinkibelka
Summary: Allura is struggling with ruling Arus, abiding by Wade's edicts and holding a fractured Voltron Force together. Now, she takes on the responsibility of raising her young niece. Overwhelmed & lonely, she turns to an old story for comfort. K/A
1. Chapter 1

I make no claims to Voltron. I just like fleshing out the story a bit.

Moonspell -Chapter One

Strange how one's perception of comfort changes, especially under the shadow of war.

The wretched occupants cowering in the decrepit tomb up until a few months ago knew the radiant comforts of Arusian court life. Arus- a planet home to a thriving culture of art, science and prosperity -had the Court of the Castle of Lions at its epicenter. Though archaic in its architecture, the Castle of Lions was on the forefront of Arus' glory. The Court upheld many traditions, such as festivals, elaborate balls and other such pageantry.

Now broken debris and fallen defenders fill the ruined ballroom. The Castle stands dark and silent.

The King, as well as other noblemen, had been trained in military academies. However, they received well-rounded educations-not just in politics, but in technology and engineering. The Crown had sponsored highly advanced defense systems-although Voltron, the colossal technological marvel infused with ancient magic, had been a part of that defense for many generations. King Alfor was loved by his people who enjoyed prosperous lives with advanced medical facilities, universities, festivals and so much more. As he was loved in life, he would be legendary in death-a death that just recently occurred.

The Court fostered music and great philosophical discourse in its gilded salons. Musicians from around the Denubian Galaxy performed for the court. The queen was fervent patron of the performing arts. She and many ladies of the court particularly enjoyed music. The queen's coloratura soprano voice would dance above the din of the chatter in lively gatherings of the fine arts community of Arus.

Now, that voice was silenced by death.

All that remained of that former brilliance sat cross-legged on a pile of blankets with a large book open on her lap. Up until a few months ago, the golden-haired child had been surrounded by a fleet maids, butlers, guards, hairdressers, tutors. Most of those adoring courtiers were dead. Their lifeless forms were thrown about the castle as if they were the macabre dolls thrown back into a dollhouse by an angry child. Unaware of the ruin and death above, the princess had been sequestered in one of the tombs of her ancestors deep beneath the castle. A small lantern served as her only attendant now in the dismal tomb. The eerie green light brought her sweet face out from the darkness that hid the remnants of the beleaguered palace staff. Coran, the Chief Minister to the Crown, glanced over at the young princess who had saved her favorite book from the Royal Library.

The princess and the book shared a sad link-they were both the last of their kind.

The Royal Library had been an ongoing passion of King Alfor. He thought it would be fitting to have a depository of knowledge in the heart of Arus, the castle. Amidst the ornately carved shelves, the young princess sat with her tutors. He knew the Council of Elders disproved the princess receiving an education usually reserved for princes , however Alfor felt the time was right for such education.

Arus was a contradiction: modern in development of science and great technologies, yet deeply rooted to archaic traditions. Laser canons and a mighty robot defended an ancient stone castle in which ladies wore elaborate dresses , embroidered tapestries and never questioned their lords.

Alfor knew that would change with Allura. Visiting his daughter Allura had been a daily event for the king. He welcomed the young princess' lively updates on her studies. Smiling and laughing softly as Allura taught him how to write his name in ancient Arusian and how to multiply. The visits had been a reprieve for him. Tensions had been mounting under the threat of war.

That threat was now manifesting itself in the skies above the castle.

Most of Coran's encounters with the princess had been in the course of retrieving the King from his daily 'lessons' for urgent business. Coran would politely smile at the blue-eyed, angelic child as he ushered the king away. Allura quickly made the connection. No matter where or when he saw the princess, she would scowl at him. It seemed to Coran that he had become the 'big bad daddy-stealer' in Allura's mind.

Coran winced at his the thought. The girl's father had indeed been stolen-not by the Chief Minister, but by the Drule King Zarkon. Zarkon sought to make the jewel of the Denubian Galaxy the centerpiece of his crown of tyranny. Now the former jewel was a crater-ridden shadow of its former self, and the very man who was the focus of little pink scowls would be responsible for raising a future monarch.

'I hardly know the child. Now I have to raise her? And I've lost my home, my family, my friend...' Coran began to weigh the heavy burden that would fall upon his shoulders once they left this tomb.

If they ever left the tomb...

The one comfort the occupants of the tomb had was the princess' voice. Allura had decided that a story was in order. Whenever she was in bed with an illness or scared of the dark, there had been an adult nearby-though seldom her mother or father-to read her a story. For a princess who had every need or want ever met, she was remarkably giving and caring of others, Coran thought to himself. He recognized the intent behind her gesture-she was doing what she could to help.

The treasured book was a volume of Arusian myths. Despite the fact that Arus had long been a monotheistic planet, the stories of the old ways- gods and goddesses and mythical beasts-remained. Technology may have built impressive Arusian hospitals and wondrous ships, but magic flowed in the veins of the planet. No better example of this was their guardian Voltron himself-a hybrid of Arusian technology and ancient power. Voltron was a guardian who had fallen from the skies like a mythic doomed hero. He now lay broken and sequestered around Arus. But that would be another myth to be revived in a later time. The princess had selected a new story from the book.

_There once of a fair maiden of the mountains. Her eyes were as green as the forests that covered the mountain she called home. Her mountain was in the Wind Kingdom. The Wind Kingdom was fighting a war against the Fire Kingdom..._

The princess paused from the story. _How did my mother talk to this man?,_ Allura thought to herself as she regarded the Advisor. _I can't remember. I'm the last royal left, so I must I must be brave, and I must remember how I'm supposed to talk. _She rolled her shoulders back, lifted her chin and peered into the darkness where she remembered Coran had been sitting.

"Chief Minister Coran, have there always been wars? Even in my story, there's a war. I know these are very old stories. I learned about these with Sir Reginald."

The first thought that crossed the minister's mind was that Sir Reginald was dead.

_Pull yourself together. Don't say that. She is just a child._ Coran thought for a moment and then answered, "Sadly, yes, your Highness. There have always been wars."

"I remember when there wasn't a war, Chief Minister. "

"Yes, those are the good times, " he answered, "now, why don't you finish the story?"

The princess continued.

"..._her true love was a great warrior. He was summoned by the king to fight in the war. After he left, the young maiden tried very hard to be brave. She would work very hard in her father's vineyard and farm during the day, hoping that she would be too busy to be sad. But she would cry herself to sleep every night. One day while she was at the market selling her father's wine and fruit, a perclu-yar, no pec..."_

Allura's brow wrinkled as she wrestled with the _peculiar_. The word won this battle. The princess huffed and continued the myth.

_"One day a...an old woman stopped by the maiden's table at the market. 'why are so sad, child?' she asked. My true love has gone off to war, and I miss him very much. The old woman smiled at the maiden and said, 'Only someone who has felt your pain can truly understand you, maybe even help. The moon goddess is in love with the sun. Their duties keep them apart. The sun must grow our crops and warm our world. The moon helps guide our sailors and light the night. Climb to the highest mountain and weave the moon goddess a crown of flowers. Place them upon her that she may wear them for her love as they pass in the heavens. Tell her your troubles, she will understand. ' _

_So the maiden climbed the highest mountain in the East. Even at the top of the high mountain, she could not reach the moon. But the maiden was clever. She saw the moon's reflection in the middle of a pool of water. She gathered flowers quickly and made the crown. The maiden waded out into the water and laid the crown up on the moon's reflection. She told the moon of how much she loved her handsome warrior, and she wanted nothing more that to see him again. ' " _

Allura paused. 'I miss someone too...' she thought to herself.

_"Suddenly, the maiden heard something fall into the pool. It was her true love. The goddess, moved by the maiden's plea, brought him back from the war. She rushed across the pool into his arms, and ..."_

"That's enough, young lady", a plump woman in a matronly dress stepped out of the darkness and into the light of the lantern. "It is time for you to get some sleep!" Coran recognized the woman as Allura's nanny. He had limited exposure to the domestic staff of the castle. Since their confinement down in the tombs to wait out the latest bombardment by Zarkon, he had simply referred to her by her official duty title- 'Nanny'. The woman had never corrected him.

Perhaps imminent danger tempered royal protocol in situations like these.

"Oh, Nanny! How can you tell it's night? It's always dark in here. And, I want to tell you want happens next."

"We all know what happens next. It's a very old story. Now, let's brush your hair and get you tucked in."

An hour later, it seemed the opposite had happened. The handful of adults in the room had fallen asleep, and Allura was the only one awake. She kept thinking about the story.

_Was it that easy?_

She turned her head slightly, expecting to hear the explosions and rumblings that had become the norm over the past few days.

Perhaps the fighting was over?

She gazed back up at the low ceiling of the confining room, and then, the best idea that her innocent mind her innocent mind ever hatched came to her. She sat bolt upright, excited by the prospect of what her idea could bring. She silently fumbled for her small pink slippers in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

I make no claims to Voltron. I just like fleshing out the story a bit.

Moonspell -Chapter 2

"NO!" The little girl howled at the sight of the ruined garden. "No, no, no...everything is gone." She had come all this way. Allura spun round to survey the remains of the ruined garden. What had once been a lush courtyard with roses, primly trimmed shrubs and fountains in the memory of the little princess was a stark contrast to the reality that surrounded her. Debris from the surrounding walls that formed the square of the garden buried the roses. Blast marks scarred the remnants of the walls and marked the headless, limbless statues. She looked up above the castle into the starry void, realizing she had not seen the sky in several days. Now she wanted nothing more to go back into that awful room. When she was down there she wouldn't have to be confronted with this. Everything could at least still be beautiful in her dreams.

The shock numbed her. It was a mercy that she had snuck up to the garden via one of her favorite back passages. Had she taken the main hall route, the visage of destruction and death would have devastated her. Of course, she had heard the explosions and felt the rumblings during her time in the tomb. Yet to finally see it...

I must do this. I can make it all better. I just need flowers.

Again, the agony was taking her over. It only grew as she struggled to find any flowers in this place of ruin.

'_Coran, old friend. Please...'_

Alfor. He would know his friend's voice anywhere. His logical mind told him it was impossible, yet he knew it had awaken him. The lull in the bombardment had lowered the guard of the sleep-deprived adults. Yet, something wasn't right.

'She has gone up...' the voice continued.

The princess. Coran leapt to his feet.

The young princess glanced at the two withered roses in her cupped hands. She closed her hands slightly around her treasure as she turned her face up to the night sky. The fountain was badly damaged, yet it still held a scant amount of water in its lower pool. Allura held out her small hands over the water.

There she was- the moon. The pale Arusian moon peeked down at the princess through thin fingers of clouds. Allura looked down at her reflection. The reflected image gave the impression that the moon was nearly sitting on the princess' shoulder, waiting for her wish.

"Lady moon, I don't have enough flowers to make you a crown. But I read the story about you. I know what you can do. I loved my father very much and..."

Over the past few months she held back tears many times. Brave princess do not cry. Her father always told her to be brave. She had kept that close to her heart when they had sealed his broken body in the crypt. The courtiers surrounding her expected the 9 year old girl to break down. However, here in ruined garden, the little girl poured out her soul to someone she thought could help her.

She could not stop these tears.

"Maybe you could bring him back to me. I don't know any other way to get him back. He HAS to come back." She dropped the roses into the water and sunk to her knees. Sobs began to seize her body. She tucked her knees into her chest under the pink nightgown.

"Bring him back...bring him back!" She bellowed into the night.

At that moment, the young princess gave in to her grief. Grief so strong that it masked the rumble of an approaching enemy battleship.

One level below, the chief minister did hear the sound. He stepped up his pace, tunneling his focus on finding Allura. Finding a small child in a massive, ruined castle should have been a daunting task. Yet, he felt as if he were being led by an unseen hand.

The courtyard garden, almost there.

He found the double doors already opened out into the garden. He strained in to see anything in the darkness. Although, he did not have to strain to hear the cry.

"Allura!", he called into the darkness-the first time he had called her by name.

More rumbling...flashes of light energizing the night clouds.

The clouds slowly thinned, allowing a small trace of moonlight to illuminate the ruin. Coran spotted the young princess, wracked with grief.

What happened next should not have been impossible. Later, Coran himself would not be able to describe what came over him. But the distance between him and the princess rapidly closed. Despite previous injuries to his back sustained during previous attacks, he scooped the frantic princess up with effortless grace. Coran turned back toward the door. He could not feel the ground under his feet but could feel the wind moving past him. Yes, he was heading toward the door. He reached out his free hand as if the motion would get them across that threshold faster. He could hear the explosions again. Then he felt it-not the percussion from an explosion behind him, but an unseen force pulling him even faster into the castle. As they crossed the battered threshold leaving the moonlit garden behind them, the minister and princess fell into a frenzied heap onto the floor.

A blazing light. A solid hit. Debris from one of the towers rained down into the garden. Only a few moments later, they would have been buried.

A volley of laser fire from the remaining castle defenses followed the explosion. From the subsequent silence, the canons had managed to drive the ship away.

The white hot fury of Allura's grief was cooling into a soft ember. She looked over at the man she once considered her nemesis. He was now her hero.

"Thank you, Chief Minister. I am so sorry to put you in danger like that. The spell probably won't work anyway."

The politician reached over and helped the princess to sit upright. "You are very welcome. You know, there aren't many of us left. I do not have anyone left here on Arus anymore. And you too... ."

He did not want to elaborate any more on his last statement than he had to. Instead, he squeezed the girl's hand. "We will have to be each other's family for now on. Just call me Coran. Is that alright?"

"Yes", she replied softly. "You may call me Princess Allura if you like."

Coran smiled. "Of course, your highness. Now, let's get back down to our 'hideout' before that ship comes back with some of his friends."

The princess gave the minister a slight smirk. She took his outstretched hand and followed her new hero back down into the castle depths.


	3. Chapter 3

Moonspell Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Voltron-don't own it, don't make any money from it...just love it.

Time passed.

That desperate young princess grew up.

That chief advisor grew old.

However, they remained in their ruined castle, waiting for a miracle. Five miracles arrived one day, and life around the Castle was never the same.

A new Castle of Lions rose like a phoenix reborn from the broken remains of its predecessor. The gardens were gone, the former green space replaced by tactical efficiency. The new Castle faintly emulated a style of a traditional Castle. However years of fighting invading hordes of Drules forced the need for functionality. Laser turrets, radars, and blast-proof hatches replaced statuary, fountains and heraldry. A few of the breezeways and terraces remained for enjoying the pleasant Arus climate. The occupants of a particular East terrace remembered a time when parties and other gatherings were held here, where long afternoons were idled away in courtly gossip and intrigues.

These two, a old man and a young woman, had no time for such trivial things.

The work of rebuilding had been daunting for Coran. He had been shouldered with the responsibility of pulling Arus from the darkest depths and giving the beleaguered planet a chance to survive. Much of the same could be said about his young charge sitting across from him sipping coffee at the impromptu breakfast table. The terrace consisted of a grid of grey slate tiles outlined by a line of stubby granite columns, was Spartan in its design compared to its predecessor. Illuminated by the Arusian sunrise, this terrace merely peeked out underneath the east side of the castle like a timid child peering around his mother's legs. Typical outdoor furniture had been bravely attempted a few years ago, however such furniture did not withstand constant attacks and falling debris.

The young woman, the heir to the throne of Arus, and the weary advisor sat on curved stone benches around a modest stone table. Given the uneasy peace that Arus had recently achieved, morning briefings out on the terrace were now a common routine. Previously, such briefings were conducted in the Control Room. The four young men who usually accompanied Allura during those briefings were scattered to the winds.

_Everything here has its tactical purpose_, Allura mused to herself. What would it be like to have all those ornate trappings of luxury that her predecessors had enjoyed? She briefly pictured herself on an upholstered chaise lounge with a ornate parasol-the kind her mother had so many years ago. The image of herself stretched out on such a frivolous piece of furniture seemed so ridiculous to her. Adding the missing young men to picture gave Allura a quick mental diversion from the cold reality around her.

_Hmmm, Hunk could pour me a few cold beers and bring me cheese pizza while Pidge debriefs me on the latest gossip. Lance could massage my back and tell a few dirty jokes, while Keith would..._

"...and then lightning bolts would shoot out of my eyes and Nanny would come back to work at the Castle and teach you a few more good manners!"

"Oh...I apologize Coran. The coffee has not kicked in yet. " Allura's lack of attention to the affairs of the state _du jour_ did not go unnoticed.

"I suppose development plans are not as exciting as flying a Blue Lion through a morning patrol." Coran patiently smiled at the princess.

She smiled weakly at her advisor and mentor. "This is my duty now, Coran. " She waved her hand over the data pad and stacks of dossiers. "It has its own rewards."

Life certainly had slowed around the Castle of Lions. Peace had been restored to the Denubian Galaxy and to the Galaxy Alliance. The scourge of Zarkon and his son, Lotor, had been eliminated by the mechanized champion of her home world, Voltron. Three years of battling the Drule menace came to a head in a battle over earth. However, the mighty defender's reward had been a mandated decommissioning by Grand Sky Marshal Wade. After a unexpected and rather suspicious malfunction of the Lions during the Galaxy Celebration, Wade tapped into the backlash of public opinion to mothball the lions ...and save one for himself.

Sensing something in the princess' heart, Coran added ,"I miss them too, Allura. Things are just not the same without the team here."

The Voltron Force were now fractured and scattered. She remained here on Arus. Pidge, Hunk and Lance were assigned to the Galaxy Alliance Flight Academy. And Keith...

_What was stolen must be returned._

The princess sighed slowly and turned her gaze across the verdant landscape around the castle. The Castle was a solitary sentinel nestled among rolling hills. It had been decided as the rebuilding began that no settlements would be located near the castle. As the castle had been the focus of so many attacks and these last bloody years were still fresh in the citizens of Arus, they did not want to take any chances.

The citizens of Arus as well as their princess knew this was not the peace they had fought so hard for. It was a peace with conditions, concessions and humiliation. Four of the Lions lain dormant and chained, another lion stolen. She hated Zarkon for what he had done to her home, but she seethed with anger at thought of what Wade had done.

Coran's datapad buzzed softly. The advisor peered down at the device; he was being summoned to the Palace's communication center for an encrypted communiqué on the classified intra-Arus network. However, the message was not for him.

"Allura, would you take your breakfast 'to go'? There has been a message received from Queen Orla. "

"Aunt Orla...", Allura leapt to her feet. Before Coran could get out of his seat and gather a few dossiers, Allura had already abandoned the coffee. A worried niece made a hurried dash for the door.

0300. The Galaxy Alliance Flight Academy students were still recovering from a day of lessons, simulations and physical training. However, one instructor was getting a very early start to his day or he was getting a very late end to a very long day. The Tech Sergeant was not in his office, well at least not his official office. He was frantically typing away on a terminal.

"Let's see...establishing connection...enabling primary layer encryption...now ShadowDen encryption..." The young man adjusted his wide, green goggles and tapped impatiently on the keyboard. "C'mon...make the handshake..."

A small beep...victory!

Pidge Stoker resumed the flurry of keystrokes.

_Stalker, are you there? _

Pidge anxiously waited for the cursor move, a sign of life.

_...ACK_

"Whew, acknowledged!" Pidge breathed a sigh of relief.

_Stalker, no sightings of watering hole. Hyena has hid the kill._

-_Hyena? Hyena? WTF?_

Pidge hissed. "Shit! Hyena...no...think Pidge, small canine forager...JACKAL!"

_Jackal-my bad. Wait one for status..._

Something crashing to the ground behind him caused Pidge to flinch. He quickly turned his head, hoping to keep communications with Stalker going.

"Fracking three o clock in the fracking morning. This is getting old." A bleary-eyed Lance McClain stumbled into the Den, the unofficial headquarters of resistance growing right underneath Wade's nose. The lieutenant had managed to wrap his ankle around one of Hunk's power cables.

"Well, look what that the lions drug in!", Pidge turned his attention back to the terminal. "I've got him. Get untangled from Hunk's lieutenant trap and get over here!"

"Whew. I'd hate to think I left that blonde lieutenant alone at the Officers' Club for nothing." Lance slid into the seat next to Pidge. "This IS pretty damn important. I'm just glad we got him this time."

Pidge rolled his eyes at the latest report of Lance's exploits. "Your sacrifice will be entered into the Hall of Heroes. Wait...Keith's sending something..."

_-Zuklon. Others here hunting. More to follow. _

"Zuklon? How the hell did he end up there? " Lance shook his head.

"Is there anything you want to tell him? Our window of opportunity is about to close", Pidge remarked as he typed in other updates to the renegade commander.

"Tell him I miss his smile, his warmth, the way his laughter lights up a room."

_Red says hello. _

_ -Tell him 2 keep his pants on and stay focused. _

_ Haha, you got it. _

_ -How is she? _

Pidge did not have to ask the former Voltron commander for any clarification. He knew exactly who Keith was asking about.

_ I think she misses us. Called a couple nights ago. Hyena making demands. Do u want me 2 tell her anything?_

The cursor remained stationary for a long moment as if the user on the other end was collecting his thoughts.

-_Tell her to tell Hyena he can stick his demands up his ass. And tell her I miss her._

_ I will. Horizon approaching. I'm working on com solution. This sucks but is secure, at least for now._

_-Yes, we need voice coms. I miss the sound of Red's velvet smooth voice._

Pidge cackled at the commander's humor.

_Funny, he said the same about you. _

_ -I bet. Stalker Out._

Lance glanced at a console signaling an alarm. "Pidge, the horizon is closing."

"That's okay. He's already gone. If anything, he's efficient."

The two former Voltron pilots sat in silence for a moment, each collecting their thoughts. Both were fearful for their friend.

Both hated living a lie.

"He's out there putting his life on the line, and all we can do is..is..wait!" Pidge slammed his fist down on the console. "We can't track him, we can't give him intelligence...all we can do is wait for the next window to open. "

Lance tilted his head back and stared up at the bulkhead of the unused storage facility they had claimed as their base of operations. Officially, it had been sealed off for possible chemical contamination after a 'scan' had been 'conducted' by an 'Alliance Safety Team' that Wade's staff never questioned. Of course it had been carefully composed by Pidge and planted on Wade's desk by Lance.

At least one thing had gone down as planned for them.

"If I have to give one more lecture on the Evolution of the Fractal Fighter, I'm going to go rogue myself. " Lance grinned at the young tech sergeant. " But I'm not going to some hole -in-the-wall like Zuklon. I'm going to Vegas. "

"Sounds good. I can't take much more of being in Wade's Alliance. This isn't the Galaxy Alliance I swore to defend." Pidge got up from the console and stretched.

"No, Pidge. This is no Alliance. This is Wade's Kingdom. And there are others who feel the same way. Keith is going to find those others. Until then, we gotta keep up this farce. Maybe we'll get some hint of where to look next. "

"I can't believe we've been here six months, and we haven't heard anything on where Wade's stashed Black. It's like he made Black disappear. "

Lance replied, "Or maybe he's scared everyone shitless into keeping their mouths shut. We'll find somebody willing to talk...eventually."

Lance stood up to face Pidge. "Well, PT starts in about an hour. How about a drink?"

Pidge replied as they turned toward the door, "I doubt you are referring to a pre-workout vitamin-boost protein shake."

"That depends, Tech Sergeant," replied Lance, "if you call _Jack Daniels_ a vitamin."


End file.
